by Christian Williams
One of the great sights of Zion is when you are coming down the switchbacks from east Zion into the main canyon and you see this magnificent wall of mountains, West Temple, Towers of the Virgin, and the Altar of Sacrifice. This scene was especially great today as the full moon from the night before was setting behind these cliffs. I used my 500mm lens, to get a great close-up of these iconic peaks, which had the effect of enlarging the moon against the backdrop of the mountains.

by Karen Williams
How in the world did this happen? Snow from several days earlier had melted and as temperatures dropped below freezing overnight the water run-off froze. What is strange is how the "ice stalagmite" formed around this dry flower.

While hiking through a canyon, we came across a rock wall covered in different wall climbing plants and moss. This photo taken with my macro lens, is of a tiny variety of moss that had a unique variety of textures.

by Christian Williams
At the end of the canyon, we scrambled up to a rocky ledge and were rewarded with this magnificent view of East Zion.

by Christian Williams
The wide open valley in main canyon offers a great pespective on the magnificent towers and peaks of Zion National Park. The two large bolders in the foreground, with a juniper tree sandwiched in the middle bring to my mind the phrase "stuck between a rock and a hard place".

by Christian Williams
While out hiking with my family, I took a series of photos with silhouettes of different family members with the beautiful backdrop of the glowing mountains of Zion as the afternoon grew late.

While hiking next to the Virgin River I noticed this pile of little rocks. These smooth, colorful stones line the shores of the Virgin River and when the water level is high enough fill the air with a roaring clacking sound as the water tumbles the rocks into one another.

by Christian Williams
This morning was foggy and cloudy in the park, which is always interesting weather for pictures. As I set up to take this photo, the clouds broke, revealing the brilliant blue sky, and providing excellent light on the West Temple and Altar of Sacrifice in the background.

As we hiked through the untouched snow, with the snowflakes still swirling in the air around us, this golden tree stood out from a landscape completely covered in white. The last of the fall leaves, still bright and clinging to their tree, amidst the falling snow.

We hiked through a narrow canyon, and I was fascinated by these little plants that grew in long vines all over the canyon walls. Instead of merely dying off in the winter, they first changed into a variety of soft colors.

by Karen Williams
This small collection of basalt lava rock fragments would probably escape the notice of most hikers in Zion. Remnants of lava rock from eruptions dating 250,000+ years ago are scattered throughout Zion.

Juniper trees hold a special place in my heart. These beautiful trees cover the landscape in Zion and thrive in the midst of high heat and freezing snows. I also enjoy the fact that for some reason, many native Southern Utahns refer to Juniper Trees as Cedar Trees, even though I've never seen a Cedar Tree in Utah.

Some canyons of Zion National Park are domated by a living soil called Cryptobiotic Crust, which contains lichen and mosses, and bacteria. This crust provides a stable foundation for plants and mosses to grow, which otherwise would have difficuly enduring the winds and rainstorms in the shifting sand. The soil is very delicate and a single foot print can damage it. If you're hiking and come across this soil, walk around it!

The sign which marks the entrance to Zion National Park in East Zion is a favorite of tourists. It's impossible to drive by it without seeing someone taking a picture of loved ones in front of this sign. In some respects, it's strange that people would prefer to take pictures of themselves in front of a sign advertising Zion, instead of the beautiful park itself. But as the sun was setting after another rainy day, I too was drawn to the Zion sign.

by Christian Williams
The tall canyon walls in Zion National Park frequently block out the sun. I was drawn to this cluster of trees in the shadowed foreground, several times the height of any man, which were dwarfed by the massive canyon walls of the West Temple.

The eastern side of Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world as Highway 9 twists and turns around the Navajo Sandstone canyons . The afternoon I took this photo it was dark and cloudy. I love the way Hwy 9 stretches forth and suddenly disappears into the mists of the oncoming storm.

by Christian Williams
The rainy season in Zion National Park continued. Emerald Pools in the main canyon, which is often just a trickle or even completely dry in summer time was now a full-blown waterfall. As I hiked along the trail, which takes you underneath and back across the top of the lower Emerald Pools falls, I really liked the juxtaposition of this stone staircase, with the waterfall flowing in the background. The rain was still pouring down, which made keeping the lens dry for a 20 second long exposure somewhat tricky.

I love Zion in the morning, and often choose to hike early in the day. This is one of my favorite areas to hike in Zion. This morning I was struck by the dramatic lines created by the bright sun cutting across the shadows.

We spent the afternoon walking along the Virgin River, and came across this beautiful scene that looks like the Garden of Eden. Beautiful green, rushing river, blue skies, paradise.

by Karen Williams

While Chris was busy photographing the lovely scenery, I sat by the river enjoying the plantlife growing all around me. I know, it looks like a weed - but the whimsical nature of the seeds blowing off the plant in the breeze reminds me of the beauty I found in nature as a child. Soft, small, magical.

by Karen Williams

Chris looks kind of like a beaver as he leans closer to inspect this beaver-knawed tree. Beavers are rarely seen in Zion, as they are mostly active at night, but signs of beavers can be seen near the Virgin River.

I was coming back from a short hike, when I noticed this otherwise unremarkable rock sparkling in the early morning sunshine. I was drawn by the stark contrast of dark shadows against the glistening minerals and sharp edges of the rock.

by Karen Williams
Ancient petroglyphs are scattered throughout Zion National Park, but are not very well publicized to prevent damage. This photograph is from a large group of petroglyphs, which are thought to be carved by Anasazi almost 2000 years ago. The carving also proves that bighorn sheep, which were reintroduced to the park in 1970s, are indigenous to Zion. Petroglyphs differ from pictographs in that petroglyphs are carved, while pictographs are painted.

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365 IN ZION

365 Days in Zion is a photo experience by Karen and Christian Williams. Together, we spent an entire year in Zion National Park amidst snow, rain, flash floods, brush fires, and the beautiful sunny blue skies that typify Southern Utah in the United States of America.